By Colleen Duncan
Lately, every time I go shopping, I get déjà vu. And no, it’s not just because I’ve been to the same Forever 21 more times than I’d like to admit, but because the jean jacket isn’t just familiar, but basically an exact replica of a childhood hand-me-down in the back of my closet.
And a pair of destroyed high-waisted cut-off shorts gives me flashbacks to old pictures of my mom rocking the same trend.
Fashion is always repeating itself, and the current trends have me kicking myself for getting rid of the black combat boots I had in middle school. And it is because of this regret that fashion has turned me into a complete hoarder.
Spring cleaning has become a struggle: I am hesitant, dare I say terrified of throwing away any clothes because they’re bound to come back eventually… right? Even the crumpled, back-of-the-drawer items get a second thought. How can I get rid of this when I’ll just have to buy it again in ten years?
In order to control my self-proclaimed disorder and slim down my wardrobe this spring, I’ve come up with a few good golden rules.
- Keep the classics. Jean jackets, striped shirts, slim black pants: these are all popping up in clothing lines and seen on fashion icons, but they are also staple pieces in a wardrobe.
- Get rid of or donate the super trendy clothes you aren’t into anymore. Usually really trendy pieces are cheaper than classics, so even if they do come back, it won’t be as expensive to re-purchase them.
- While I try to naturally spend more on classic pieces and less on trendy clothing to begin with, my next rule is to keep anything that you spent a lot of money on, even if it is super trendy and probably won’t be around again for a while.
- Lastly, if you can’t see yourself wearing it again and you’ve only worn it once or twice: donate it. If you absolutely can’t imagine a time where you would consider wearing it again, you probably only bought it because it was “on trend.” That means it probably isn’t true to your style to begin with, and it’s just taking up valuable space in your closet meant for items that you’ll really love.